One More Time
by Optimistic-Pessimistz
Summary: This is the reply to Lanie's request... OOC Hanamichi and Rukawa to be expected... Re-formatted and re-edited.


**Title:** Story Of The Setting Sun

**Author:** OptimisticPessimist, a.k.a. SeraphKirin

**Pairing/s:** RuHana

**Rating:** PG-13

**Status:** One Shot

**Genre:** -

**Chapter:** 1/1

**Email:** artemis3610yahoo.com

**Disclaimers:** All Disclaimers Apply.

**Archive:** SDBC, Fanfiction.net and Fandomination.net... that's about it I think.

**Author's Notes:** This is in answer to Lanie's fic request. Please note that the author, silly 'o me in this case, am not accustomed to writing ANY form of humour except for very, VERY dry humour. This is my first attempt to subscribe to the norms dictated by "humour" so please forgive me if it isn't, cough, very funny...

Um... This story is from Hanamichi's POV (all third person except for the first portion which is first person...) and I think the word used to describe him in this fic would be OOC so... don't kill me ok?

This story takes place 3 years AFTER they graduate from Shohoku... Other notes include the fact that they've been in the same class since their Year 2... and oh, before I forget, Rukawa's going to come out OOC as well... Oh yes, Hanamichi dyed his hair to a midnight black... but I'm still gonna refer to him as the "redhead"... there's a reason why he dyed his hair black but I'm not going to tell you now...

And so, ladies and gentlemen, on with the fic!

**Author's Notes 2:** Fic has been reformatted and changed slightly. Any grievances you have you may send them to me thru the email add above. No promises that they'd be returned though.

[Italics] - Hanamichi's thoughts...

**One More Time**

The biggest problem with me is that I am never decisive enough to finish something completely so that I will never need to regret my past actions...

...And therefore, whenever I happen to think of that incident, I curse my own inability to make a decisive end to things...

----

_To: All Shohoku, Ryonan, Kainan, and Shoyo Basketball Players_

_Notice: Reunion Dinner on the 2nd of October _

_Venue: JJ Monks Restaurant_

_Please come on the 2nd of October to the JJ Monks Restaurant to attend a reunion party..._

----

Friday, Kanagawa University, Boys' dormitory, 7 pm...

"What-? You're not going? Why? Why aren't you coming?" Youhei's astonishment travelled clearly over the phone line and into Hanamichi's ears.

"... I have some private matters to attend to on that day." Hanamichi was lying through his teeth... and he knew that Youhei would see through it the moment the lie slipped out. Still, he had some hope that Youhei won't see through it.

"What private matter?" The sceptical tone in Youhei's voice spoke volumes. "The last I checked, there wasn't **ANY** private matter you had to attend to on that day... considering I begged your uncle to let you have a free day this Sunday... make it also that I know of no known appointments you have to meet anyone else either... "

Hanamichi sweatdropped. Youhei was getting better at seeing through his lies, though it was no longer surprising, considering the guy knew him best.

"... And knowing you, you'd probably won't do much on a Sunday either except play Pachinko, video games and such..."

Once again Hanamichi had to sweatdrop. [_That Youhei was too discerning for his own good... Why can't he leave "good enough" alone? There is a specific reason why I-_]__

"... And he'd will be there too, y'know?" Youhei continued on, blissfully unaware of the turbulent emotions of the boy on the other side of the line.

_Ba-dump_ Hanamichi felt his heart distinctly skip a beat.

"Heh heh... have you changed your mind yet? You want to see him again right?" There was now an underlying smirk of epic proportions in Youhei's voice.

Hanamichi face-faulted. [_You..._ ]

Hanamichi's heart resumed its normal momentum. He had to admire Youhei for knowing what kept him from going to that reunion party.

"From our Year Two in Shohoku onwards, you began to show an **unusual** interest in the iceman of Shohoku... I wonder how would he look like now-?"

He sensed Youhei's concern underneath the drawing-out tone he was using now and he appreciated it. But he had made up his mind... at least for the moment and he was not inclined to change it and in doing so, cut Youhei off. "I'm still not going."

"Eh-? Hanamichi?"

He hung up.

There was little more to say.

[_Damn you,__ Youhei__..._] He laid face-down on his bed, trying his best not to depress himself further by thinking of **him**.

[_That__ Rukawa__... __He was, and still is, the basis of all my problems..._]

--Flashback--

Shohoku High School, area behind the gym...

"I... I... I've like you since our 2nd year in Shohoku." Hanamichi squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of Rukawa's rejection, afraid of anything negative that the iceman was well known to say.

Silence.

Realizing that Rukawa still had not answered him, Hanamichi opened his eyes to look directly at the usually stoic boy.

He saw something that he would otherwise not get a chance to see: A blushing-like-mad Rukawa.

Hope surged in Hanamichi's heart. He rushed on, " If... if you are willing to, after we graduate... I hope to be able to date you officially..." Hanamichi lowered his gaze, his body braced for rejection and worse.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Sounds of someone running away...

Sounds of someone running away?!

Hanamichi looked up in time to see Rukawa's back disappear around the corner. Being Hanamichi, he dashed around the said corner. "Chotto, chotto matte yo! Rukawa!"

Hanamichi could only watch as Rukawa ran away from him...

----

Shohoku High School, Classroom of 3-7...

The teacher in front of the class droned on, happily unaware (or simply and deliberately ignorant) of the two boys who were brazenly not paying attention to his lecture.

[_This was NOT supposed to happen. Things were NOT supposed to go this way._] Hanamichi gazed at the unwilling-to-face-him side profile of Rukawa, who, surprisingly enough was awake for that particular period of the day.

(Devil: We all know who's the one responsible, don't we? evil laugh)

[_No matter how embarrassed you are, you should have at least given me a "yes" or a "no". It took me a long time before I could gather enough courage to say that to your face..._] Hanamichi buried his face in his arms on the table. [_... It shouldn't be this way... Don't you think you are being unnecessarily cruel by prolonging this, Rukawa...?_]

Hanamichi felt like banging his head on the table anime-style. [_Oh shit... I really shouldn't have done that, huh?_]

Just then, something hit Hanamichi's head. Looking up, he saw a piece of paper on his desk.

[_What the-?_] He looked at the piece of folded paper. He simply couldn't think of anyone who would dare to pass a note to him (aside from Youhei and Youhei was conveniently absent today...).

(Devil: How convenient eh? snicker)

Picking it up, he proceeded to read it:

----

_I wish to give you a reply. _

_Please meet me at the entrance of the Kamono**1** Railway Station after the graduation ceremony._

_Rukawa_

----

_Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._

Hanamichi stared at the note in his hand. He tore his eyes away from the note to look at Rukawa, who still refused to face him, his face slightly red.

Hanamichi's gaze returned to the surface of his desk. Now he was restless. He felt his heart beat faster with every second that passed, bringing him closer to that inevitable reply...

_Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._

_Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._

_Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._

----

Kamono Railway Station, 2 pm, South Entrance...

Hanamichi stood in front of the control station, looking on as busy passer-bys occasionally move past him and into the platforms.

[_He specifically called me out here to reply to me, so I guess it won't be bad news after all..._] Hanamichi tried to remain calm. [_If he had wanted to reject me, he could have done it there and then in school..._]

[_Wait a minute..._] Hanamichi thought back on the scene when he had confessed his love for Rukawa. [_When I confessed that I loved him, he seemed to be at a loss for words and appeared to have some difficulty in replying me..._]

Hanamichi was growing more and more uneasy. [_Wait... what if he'd only called me out to Kamono Station so that he can take the train home immediately after rejecting me...? It is a convenient place after all..._]

Hanamichi was starting to make wrong use of his over-active imagination. [_No... That can't be it..._]

His anxiety had grown to such and extent that he was no longer thinking straight. [_... It must be that after rejecting me, he wants to facilitate my suicide, that's why he picked the railway station... so that I can throw myself onto the tracks..._]

Finally snapping out of the overly exaggerated hallucinations that his mind produced, he gazed at the only clock in the station. [_It's 2.55 already... He's late... Very late..._]

[_Wait! What if he's at the North Entrance?_] Hanamichi sprinted towards the opposite side of the station.

----

Kamono Station, 3 pm, North Entrance...

Hanamichi's breath was coming in pants.

He looked around, searching for a certain raven-headed boy amongst the people going in and out of the station. [_He's not here..._]

Hanamichi felt a little crestfallen for running all the way here for nothing. Then a thought struck him. [_Wait... Or is he already at the South Entrance...? Shit! He'll think that I'm already gone!_]

"K'sou!" Hanamichi promptly ran all the way back.

----

Kamono Station, 6.15 pm, South Entrance...

[_He's so late..._] Hanamichi stood at the Entrance, his form clearly dejected.

[_Did I... do something wrong...?_]

[_..._]

[_It wasn't supposed to be this way..._]

[_I should have known... from the start... that things would turn out this way..._]

[_He never intended to meet me here..._]

(Devil: Aw, so sad, ain't it? Don't worry, it'll turn out fine in the end...)

--End Of Flashback--

----

Sunday, outside Kamono Station, 5 pm...

Hanamichi crossed the railway tracks to the other side.

Looking up at Kamono Station, Hanamichi felt a surge of bittersweet feelings assault him.

"Yo! Hanamichi!"

Hanamichi turned, hearing someone shout his name.

"I knew you would come." Youhei greeted the redhead, his expression cheery. "Now I can collect from the others... Oops, I- I didn't mean that..."

"You placed bets on whether I was going to appear?" One look at the redhead's stormy face convinced Youhei that he was in trouble. A split second later, Youhei was reminded of the fact that, even though Hanamichi was now a university student, he still did not waver much from his head butting days in High School.

----

"Itai... You haven't changed, I guessed as much..." Youhei rubbed the steaming dump on his head. " But," Youhei was grinning now, even though Hanamichi didn't like it, " Using Rukawa as a means to get you to come out worked, didn't it?"

"... Shut up, Yohei."

"But truthfully, you are just so not straightforward with yourself. Rukawa has been in the All-Japan team for the last three years. He must've at least gotten himself a girlfriend by now, if not a boyfriend. Just look at how handsome he is..."

"... I'm not going to the reunion to see him."

"Then... who are you going to meet there?"

"Somebody."

"Somebody who?"

Hanamichi sweatdropped. There was just no escaping Youhei's interrogation, was there? Youhei immediately changed tactics to get the conversation between them back on line after noting the change in his expression.

"Hanamichi? I apologize, ok? Please don't be unhappy..." And so on...

Hanamichi continued ignoring his friend. [_I cannot deny what is the truth... Even after all this time, there is still something inside me that's holding out hope..._]

He sighed, his expression resigned. [_I've got to be the biggest fool on this planet..._]

----

Sunday, JJ Monks Restaurant, 8 pm...

"YO! Youhei! How are you?"

"Hi!" Youhei replied, acknowledging the former Sakuragi Gundam.

"How are you, Youhei?" Anozumi draped a arm over his friend, drunk.

"Anozumi, you're drunk already?" Youhei tried to push Anozumi onto his girlfriend, Fujii.

Anozumi noticed the silent man standing beside Youhei.

Unable to place him, Anozumi could not stop himself from asking, "Who are you?"

Hanamichi immediately delivered a head butt to the (poor thing!) drunken Anozumi.

"Itai!" Anozumi lay on the ground, tears streaming down his face at the long-forgotten pain of Sakuragi's head butts. "Ok, I know you now... Hanamichi..."

"Hanamichi, he was only joking... Besides, you really changed a lot since the last I saw you... I very nearly didn't recognize you myself just now..." Youhei was quick to calm the red head down, realizing from experience that an angry red head wasn't very good to have in a party. "... And in any case, he was drunk..."

Sakuragi was a little mollified at that statement.

"Aren't you Youhei?" Ayako's voice floated over.

"Hai, Ayako-san."

"When did you arrive?"

"Only just."

"Come over here - we've got enough beer for everyone! Here you go for starters!" Ayako was about to hand another glass to Hanamichi when she really noticed him. She sweatdropped, trying to think of someone who matched this person's profile. "... Um... Who are you?"

Now Hanamichi was furious. [_These guys are really-!_]

"Maa... maa... Hanamichi..." Youhei sweatdropped, trying to salvage the situation.

"It's only been three years for heaven's sake! Have I really changed that much beyond recognition?!" Hanamichi fumed, his face distinctly livid.

"Maa... maa... Don't give up so soon, there must be someone who can still recognize you like this..." Youhei watched the redhead throw a small fit from a distance, knowing that if he went near Sakuragi now, he would be killed for sure.

"It's as if we've not met for ten years or something-!"

_Ba-dump_.

The redhead's temperament underwent a drastic change as he noticed somebody just behind Youhei.

Noticing that the redhead's attention was no longer on him, Youhei looked behind him, curious as to what could have caused the red head to quieten down so quickly. What he saw behind him made him smile. "Wo! Rukawa, long time no see!"

"Youhei." Rukawa wasn't, and still isn't, a man of many words.

And looking at the man behind Youhei, "Do'ahou."

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_.

"Ru- Rukawa..." The redhead had been discomfited by Rukawa's sudden reappearance in his life. He felt that he couldn't meet Rukawa's eyes and didn't.

Rukawa was clearly also uncomfortable around Hanamichi. "Later."

"We'll see you later!" Youhei cheerily waved at Rukawa's departing back.

"Oi, Hanamichi! See? I told you he'd become even handsomer than before!"

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_. _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_._ Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_.

"Ye- Yeah... He'd become even more handsome than before..." Hanamichi was blushing, his face reflecting the colour of his head back in High School.

"He's become very handsome... very handsome..." Hanamichi was stuttering and repeating himself now. "We've only not met for the past three years... but it feels as if it's been ten years..."

Youhei face faulted. "Oi... Oi..."

[_He still remembers me... he still can recognize me..._] Hanamichi felt absurdly happy at that singularly small matter. [_He still remembers me!_]

----

"Oi! What happened to you? Why haven't you spoken since the time you saw Rukawa?" Youhei leant on the counter, trying to get a good look at his friend.

"What are you doing?" Youhei snapped his fingers. "Oh! I get it! Since you met him again after all these years, you have fallen for him again?"

(Seraph: It must be noted that Youhei is slightly drunk here or he'd never say this to Hanamichi...

Devil: Hn... You are just impartial to Youhei...)

"It's not like that!" Hanamichi snapped. [_I need to get things out in the open once and for all... I need to ask why he didn't come that day..._]

"It's not that hard, is it? Just tell him that you liked him before!" Youhei suggested.

[_I... already did that three years ago._]

"Anyway, by now, it should be quite a big joke!"

[_...It's not a funny joke, you baka!_]

"... If that's the case, why don't I tell him for you?"

"Huh?" Hanamichi snapped out of his reverie.

"Oi! Rukawa!"

"Ba- Baka, shut up!"

Rukawa looked up from the table that he shared with Kogure and a few other juniors. "Is anything the problem, Youhei?"

"No... Everything's fine..." Youhei had been head butted by a certain red head before he could say anything.

The said red head was now panting from the close call he had.

Calming himself down sufficiently to sit down again, Hanamichi noticed that Rukawa was looking at him. He looked away, not trusting himself to keep himself together in his presence.

By ignoring Rukawa, he presumed that the raven headed boy would leave but he hadn't reckoned that he would stay.

The tinkle of a glass on the table and the sound of a chair being pulled out next to him warned him that Rukawa had taken the seat beside him.

"Long time no see..."

"Ah... Yeah..." Hanamichi could've head butted himself. [_Real intelligent answer, Hanamichi, real intelligent answer..._]

"How've you been?" Rukawa was looking at him, he could feel it even though he was carefully avoiding contact with his gaze.

"Fine, I guess..." Hanamichi did not trust himself to speak more than what he was doing now. [_Indeed, he has become a lot more handsome..._]

[_Does he have a boy/girlfriend?_]

[_He must have... he should have..._]

[_Why else would he be more attractive than before...?_]

[_As compared to pathetic old me, he's in the All-Japan Basketball Team... The difference between the both of us is too much to overcome..._]

[_So what are you hoping for? Hanamichi-baka._]

"Hanamichi?" Rukawa waved a hand in front of the red head's face, bringing the ponderings of the red head to an end.

Gaining the redhead's attention, Rukawa continued, "Have you found any girl that you've liked so far...?"

"Eh?" Hanamichi was stunned by the question. "Ah... no, I haven't... I've been spending most of my time studying so..."

"Oh... Sorry... I forgot that you were in university..."

Silence reigned between them.

[_What... What is Rukawa trying to do... by asking me this question...?_]

[_Could... Could... Could it be... that he likes me?_] Hanamichi felt the tiny flare of hope inside his heart burn brighter.

[_Or... Or... is it he had been waiting ever since that day…?_]

[_Iie, he rejected me already... he couldn't have made that clearer..._] The tiny flame of hope dimmed even further to a diminutive speck. [_So... I guess that leaves... He's just trying to console his own conscience I guess... If I had a girlfriend now, I guess it makes it easier for him to feel better about himself..._]

Hanamichi let out a small sigh. [_No matter how I think about it... I still feel as if he has some plan up his sleeves..._]

He let his head slide down onto the table, a grim smile touching his lips. [_A toast to my very own overly active imagination._]

Of course Rukawa noticed straight away. "Hanamichi? Is anything the problem?"

"Rukawa, what are you doing there for? C'mere, you!" Sendoh shouted across some tables.

"Uh... ok." Rukawa looked at Hanamichi. "Why don't you come over as well?"

"No... I'm comfortable where I am now..."

"... Ok." Rukawa joined Sendoh and the rest of the Ryonan boys without looking back.

Youhei rejoined Hanamichi, watching Rukawa speak to Sendoh and generally, have fun.

"Sendoh... From High School onwards, there've been rumours abound about the two of them being together." Youhei said, watching Sendoh smile at some remark that Rukawa made. "I heard that they've dated before... I only don't know whether it was true or not."

"Are you talking about those rumours back then?" Ayako cut in. "At that time, Rukawa supposedly had some other guy who he was in love with..."

_Ba-dump_. Ayako had gained the two boys' attention with her last sentence.

"... I heard that he'd made an appointment to meet that boy at the railway station... but in the end, that boy never turned up."

[_What-?_] Hanamichi was shell-shocked. "Ayako! The railway station you were talking about... Is it Kamono station?"

Ayako was rather taken aback at the emotions that Hanamichi was suddenly exhibiting again. "Eh... From what I remember, it should be "Kamo Daino" Station..."

"Ka..." Hanamichi couldn't believe his ears. "Kamo... **Dai**no...?"

--Flashback--

_I wish to give you a reply. _

_Please meet me at the entrance of the Kamo Daino**2** Railway Station after the graduation ceremony._

_Rukawa_

--End Of Flashback--

"Kamo Daino!" Hanamichi appeared to be completely ignorant of the fact that he was shouting.

"Yes," Ayako looked at the red head rather quizzically. "His home is rather close to there."

"Ka... Kamo Daino... Daino..." Sakuragi appeared to have been reduced to repeating himself.

"Oi, Youhei, is he ok?" Ayako looked at the red head worriedly.

"Don't worry," Youhei waved off Ayako's concerns. "Repeating himself is something he does **very** often, trust me," he added, noticing the rather sceptical look on Ayako's face.

"Eh? Hanamichi, isn't it strange that you should know so much about this?" Ayako asked the red head.

_Ba-dump_.

"Nandato, the boy Rukawa likes... is you?" Ayako paused for a moment, thinking back on the past. "Hahahahahaha! What am I thinking? You two have always been impossible to each other!"

[_Sou ka..._] Hanamichi's mind was struggling to absorb the new data given to him by Ayako and the realization of his own misconception.

[_He went there after all..._] He felt his heart lighten and his burden over the past three years lifted from him.

[_He really went there after all..._] He buried his head in his arms, his face relieved of the pain that his love had been one-sided. [_He really, really went there..._]

Ayako watched him quietly, silently moved by the fact that Hanamichi had, and still, loves Rukawa. For once, she was glad that the boy Rukawa fell in love with was Hanamichi.

----

"I'm sorry but we need to end the party even though everyone is having a great time."

"Anyone wants to go for round two?"

A horde of voices rang out. Hanamichi turned around slowly. [I... I need to go for the second round...]

"Oi! Hanamichi! Rukawa isn't going for Round 2!" Youhei shouted over those voices.

Hanamichi's shock was evident. "Wh... why?" He managed to strangle out.

"I've got something on tomorrow." Rukawa's apologetic gaze met his. [_When did he become so expressive...?_]

"Something on?" Youhei's penchant for mischief started up. " Is it a date with somebody?"

"No. It isn't a date."

"Ru... Rukawa! I need to tell you something!" Hanamichi caught Rukawa's attention, forcing the latter to meet his eyes.

"Yes?"

_Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_.

"I..." [_Now... If I don't tell him now..._]

_Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_.

"That... that day..." [_I would never again have this chance..._]

Rukawa was waiting expectantly for Hanamichi to finish his statement.

**_Ba-dump._**** _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_._ Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump._ _Ba-dump_.**

"That day..." [_Never again..._]

_"Anyway, by now, it should be quite a big joke!"_

He suddenly recalled the words that Youhei had thrown at him earlier in the party. It was as if an icy-cold bucket of water had been thrown over him.

"What is it, Sakuragi?" Hanamichi was unaware that Rukawa was still waiting for him.

"......" Hanamichi could not bring himself to look into Rukawa's eyes.

"No..." [_Right..._]

"Nothing..." [_Even I tell him again... what would it matter to him...?_]

A small, bitter curve formed on his face, unaware that Rukawa, despite his seemingly cold front, had observed this sudden transformation and cursed its presence.

[_Even if I knew that I had made a mistake in those places so long ago... would it have changed the way things are now...?_]

[_It's been three years... three whole years... you can't expect a boy like him to wait for you..._]

[_Even if my heart still remained the same way it was back then... his didn't... it has moved in these three years... it has changed..._]

[_The only person who still can't forget..._] He felt that tiny flare of hope die within the confines of his chest.

[_... Is me._] He closed his eyes, knowing that this withdrawal from a confrontation with Rukawa meant that it would be the last of its kind.

"What?" Rukawa did not show his disappointment on his face but his eyes darkened.

"..." Hanamichi knew what he had to say.

"... Take care of yourself. Goodbye." Hanamichi did not see the flash of pain that momentarily came over Rukawa's eyes.

"Yes... Goodbye."

Somehow, there was a fatalistic note of finality in the air as Hanamichi watched Rukawa take his leave...

----

Sunday, Dungeon Bar, 11 pm...

[_In the end..._] Hanamichi sat alone on the barstool.

[_I still couldn't make head or tail of that matter..._] He sipped his beer thoughtfully.

[_Even until the end..._] He gulped down his beer in one go, thoroughly disgusted with himself.

[_I still can't get myself to be decisive about something..._] Finishing his beer, he ordered another.

"Hanamichi!" Youhei staggered over, evidently drunk to the tips of his hair. "Do you have an inadequacy complex or something?! C'mere and drink with us!" he draped an arm over his friend's shoulders.

(Seraph: Please note that Youhei was really, really drunk when he said this...)

"Get away from me, you drunken sod!" Hanamichi pushed Youhei onto the floor and left him like that.

[_Why am I here anyway?!_]

[_Without Rukawa, there is really hardly any reason why I should stay..._]

Hanamichi slumped onto the table, resigned to his fate. [_But I still followed the majority... it just goes to prove that my sense of individuality is too weak to be true..._]

_Plonk_.

"What the-?!" Hanamichi stared at the offending piece of paper that had struck him. "Who the heck threw this...?"

He picked the paper up, feeling a sense of déjà vu swamp him.

----

_I wish to give you a reply._

_Please meet me at **Kamo Daino**_ [these two words being strongly emphasized by the heavy underlining]_ Station at 10 am tomorrow._

_Rukawa._

----

Hanamichi rubbed his eyes, disbelieving what he just read. Then he folded up the paper, unfolded and read it again.

The words were still there.

Nothing had changed.

He felt an immediate wave of wonder washing over him. Looking up from the paper, he saw the one person who could have known the contents of that very same letter three years ago.

"Rukawa..." He couldn't believe his eyes. Rukawa was... smiling.

For that moment he was content to just gaze into his eyes, knowing that there was no one more perfect than he.

"You... How... How did you...?" Hanamichi stammered.

"Ayako told me everything." Rukawa just stared at Hanamichi, taking in everything. "She said some Do'ahou couldn't tell the difference between **Kamono** and **Kamo** **Daino** and ran all the way to Kamono to wait for someone..."

Hanamichi could only look at Rukawa, his jaw dropped down in utter surprise.

Rukawa smiled again. "This time, you'll be there, right?"

----

Monday, Flower Shop, 9.15 am...

"I'm sorry!" A panting redhead burst through the door.

"Irrashaimase**3**."

"Please... Please... Please sell me some flowers... I need 5... ah... no... 10..."

The shop assistant watched the flustered red head in surprise.

"No... the more the better... Just give me as many as I can buy!" Sakuragi pushed his wallet towards the startled shop assistant.

----

Monday, on the way, 9.45 am...

"Oh shit..." The red head blushed a never-been-seen-before red as the passer-bys around him pointed at the enormous bouquet of flowers that he was carrying. "I think I bought too many..."

OWARI 

**End Notes**

Wow! 17 pages! I must be crazy!

Anyway this is just sap and there ain't many humorous parts either so I don't know if this is what you're looking for, Lanie...

1. Just the name of something that I picked up...

2. As above...

3. "Welcome" as used in shops

REVIEW PLEASE!


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